


A Stab of Happiness

by Measured



Category: Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: M/M, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-10-05 05:49:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17319155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Measured/pseuds/Measured
Summary: Soren specializes in knives. Ike teaches him tips on the training field.





	A Stab of Happiness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rosage](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosage/gifts).



> Thanks to the IkeSoren discord for shooting me ideas.
> 
> Title comes from the OFF soundtrack. Canon-typical violence.
> 
> Happy Holidays, Em.

The midday sun beat down upon the abandoned base they'd taken up in. The stone walls were crumbling, covered in moss and mold, yet it would hold for another day at the very least. In the courtyard were rows of old, abandoned weapons. The weather of Daein had destroyed what use they could've had with rot and rust. The training implements, however, were faded with age, yet were still reasonably usable.

At least for his purposes.

Bright light reflected over that tarnished, rusted metal that covered the old training gear. Soren took a deep breath and struck. The knife sank deep into the chest cavity of the wooden and straw dummy. The shock and closeness of the blow startled him, and it wasn't even a true human. Just a facsimile. He drew back, and wiped it clean of dust.

He heard the sound of footsteps and looked up. Ike's long cloak unfurled in the slight wind. He looked more neat and orderly as Ike The General and Ike The Lord than he had years ago. Though Soren saw the signs: a throbbing at his left eye, a set in his jaw which had not been there before, and a clench at his fists.

And even the sight of him left his heart racing harder. His broad shoulders, the softness of his blue hair that had lain on his lap two summers ago as Soren read beneath the trees, the strength and grace of his hands--

No, he couldn't. He couldn't think of this.

Soren looked away, back to his handiwork. Had it been a real person, their heart and innards would be lying across the battlefield now.

"You took a course in knives instead of staves?" Ike said.

"Do I look like a healer? I don't exactly have a good bedside manner."

Ike frowned--though he was always in a state of frowning, even when he smiled. It was one of the things Soren liked about him.

"You'll be a lot closer to the enemy."

"So I surmised," Soren said dryly.

Ike's jaw set even more. "Here, let me--"

He reached out to touch Soren's hand. Every touch from Ike sent a shiver through his body. Soren forced his expression to remain even. Even as his heartbeat rose, he fought for breath.

_A single touch and you fall even more. You're so weak._

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" Ike said so tenderly, it hurt. More than the usual kind, the old thorns of memories and knowing that there was no future for him. This was salt to his ever open wounds. Nothing but the present moment with Ike to treasure. Nothing but this.

Soren drew away, and quickly shook his head. "N...no. I simply was unprepared."

"You're holding the blade wrong," Ike said.

Soren glanced down. He'd followed the instructor's advice and read the books during much of his spare time, and yet he'd still failed at such a simple thing. How would he defend Ike like this if he couldn't even hold the blade right?

His hands covered Soren's own as he took the knife.

"A stiletto, pretty nice find," Ike said.

Soren nodded. Yes, he could've given it to Sothe or Volke, except Sothe was one of his least favorite people at the moment. The boy looked up at Ike like he personally hung the sun up in the sky. Soren wasn't particularly generous, or welcome to sharing in the admiration and adoration of Ike. Soren already dealt with enough people who worshiped Ike The Hero and Ike The General even when they wouldn't have given Ike The Country Mercenary a second glance.

"Like this," Ike said. He closed his fingers about Soren's and shifted the grip. Soren had to force himself to focus on the lesson and not the touch, which seared him like a burn.

Why would he take up knives....? To slit the throats of all those that would try and destroy Ike. Magic, after all, could only offer so much.

Ike took the stiletto and brought it down upon the training dummy with expert ease. The dummy swirled about, as the straw innards went flying about.

Such a weapon was meant for precision kills. A sliced throat, a stab in the back. It had neither the heft, nor range of a sword.

"Now, you try," Ike said.

Soren came closer, as Ike had. He struck in one swift, clean movement. The head straw head fell clean off and rolled to the ground.

Ike let out a low whistle. "You're a fast learner as always. Soon enough, you'll be practicing swords with me."

Soren gave him a wan smile--the kind that only Ike saw. "I hardly think so." After all, he could barely even lift the larger swords up. One of bronze would be all he could manage.

"Do you want to go inside for something to eat, or do you want to practice a bit more?"

The tautness and emptiness in his stomach wasn't for lack of food, but time. The Daein army was a formidable foe. He needed to be strong enough to protect Ike, even at the cost of his own life.

"A couple more times, then..." Soren nodded.

"Right," Ike said.

"Well, do your best. There's no army to miss these training decoys anyways."

Soren stepped towards the battalion of straw. It would be much more difficult in an actual situation. He drew the knife and struck again, and again. The dummies took the faces of the traitors who left Ike alone, the black-armor army that drew ever closer, and all those who would endanger Ike.

Soren whirled around, with the grace of the wind he controlled. Ike gave him a slow clap.

"You deserve it," he said.

Not that Soren would give him sharp words. It was Ike. Foolish behavior with him was tolerated, and perhaps even enjoyed.

For that, Ike got a smile. He was the only one who saw Soren like this, the only one he would thaw for in this entire world. The only person who made him feel hope or happiness at all.

_And you must work harder to protect the one you love._

Yes, he would. Blood and bodies left beneath the path he cleared for Ike. It was no matter. Whoever went against _his_ commander would suffer the consequences. Be it with the biting cut of wit and words, wind or the blade of a knife.


End file.
